The Shot In The Dark
by angrockman13
Summary: A very important body is found in Washington and in ties in with Epps! But Epps has been dead for years, right? My first FanFic- hope it's good! Rated T just in case!
1. Vile Feelings

The Shot In The Dark: A Bones Fanfic

Chapter 1: Vile Feelings

"Oh, Dr. Brennan," began Camille Saroyan.

"It's OK, Cam, I'm just examining some remains from on of the Epps cases a few years back."

"You are?" asked Dr. Saroyan. "I hope you don't mind me asking why," she finished.

"Sarah Koskoff, actually. One of the girls killed by the accomplice, Gil Lappin. The guy I… killed. She was a blonde, of course."

Dr. Saroyan walked, in her confident stride, over to Dr. Brennan's desk, where the three-year old (since death, of course) body lay. "Isn't Koskoff the last name of one of the characters in your new book that comes out on Saturday?"

"Yes, her name is Sabrina Koskoff. As you'd know, the very idea of a tribute to a dead person is scientifically flawed. If you are trying to acknowledge them, but they are forever resting, they will never know. But, for some reason, with this book, I felt a strong desire to do so."

Dr. Saroyan almost rolled her eyes. For someone as genius as Dr. Brennan, who had an incredibly high IQ and was a bestselling author, Temperance Brennan could be so _dense. _

"Um… o-ok, Dr. Brennan. Again, why are you even examining the remains in the first place. Epps is dead."

"This is going to sicken you," Dr. Brennan said.

"Dr. Brennan, you know as well as I do that I conduct autopsies, help you find dangerous criminals on a daily basis, and had to go through years of college and small-time jobs to work at the Jeffersonian. Not much sickens me anymore."

The door opened. "And sweetie, I…"

"Ang," Dr. Brennan cut off 3-D Facial Reconstructionalist and one of her best friends, Angela Montenegro. "Ang, can you hear me out on this? Someone like Cam, who he almost killed, would be completely hurt."

"Epps?" asked a shocked Angela. Dr. Saroyan nodded, and then shook, her head.

"Yes or no?" Angela asked.

"Yes," said Dr. Brennan.

"Is this psychological?" asked Dr. Saroyan.

Dr. Brennan was lost in thought, as her finger pondered her forehead.

"If it is, we should bring in Lance," advised Ms. Montenegro.

"But I hate psychology," Dr. Brennan groaned. She sighed, and thought of what vile, evil things Epps had done.

"Sweetie, Lance would be the best option," Angela told her.

"Dr. Brennan, I have to second that emotion," said Dr. Saroyan.

"What?" Dr. Brennan asked. "Am I wrong, or is the correct term 'I second that motion?'"

"Cam, she's never heard of Diana Ross," Angela said.

"Oh sorry," Dr. Saroyan said, with a laugh.

"But sweetie, what's bothering you?" Angela said, care and genuine concern in her voice.

"I don't know how to explain it," Brennan admitted.

"I'm getting Lance," said Angela, and she left Dr. Brennan's room. It wasn't an office, nor a lab, but aside from some autopsy supplies (which is why Cam was in the room in the first place), Dr. Brennan was the only one who usually occupied the room.

Dr. Brennan and Dr. Saroyan waited in silence, tension obviously filling the room. Known to her colleagues as Cam, Dr. Saroyan surveyed Dr. Brennan, for lack of a better thing to do.

She had a unique combination of dark hair and piercing crystal blue eyes. An attractive Caucasian woman, Dr. Brennan was wearing a blue lab coat with "Brennan" stitched across the front pocket.

The door opened again, as Angela was practically dragging FBI Psychologist Dr. Lance Sweets into the room. "She doesn't… even… appreciate psychology," Sweets was saying.

"Lance, Daisy is one of my friends, who will (with some exceptions) listen to me under pretty much any circumstance. So, if I tell her that someone is being unfaithful to her, she will believe me," Angela slyly told him.

"Are you blackmailing me?" asked Dr. Sweets.

"I am _totally _blackmailing you, Sweets. Now, help our friend," Angela grinned.

Dr. Sweets reluctantly took a seat on the couch, beside Angela. Dr. Brennan and Dr. Saroyan were facing the two, in chairs by the desk.

"Ok, Temperance (can I call you that), I'm going to go for broke: what's bothering you?" Dr. Sweets questioned.

"Lance, it's… personal. But not psychological."

"Sweetie, that's kind of impossible," Angela informed Dr. Brennan.

"Angela told me it had to do with Howard Epps, that Serial Killer you guys dealt with a few years ago," Dr. Sweets said.

"Sweets, you weren't even in the country when Epps died," Dr. Saroyan told him.

There was a knock at the door. "Bones," said FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth.

"Well, Tempy, you are the woman of the hour tonight," Angela remarked.

"Bones, we have a body," Booth said from outside the door. He opened it, and leaned against the wall. "We better get going, Bones," he told Dr. Brennan.

"So, Dr. Brennan, can you please tell me what is wrong," Dr. Sweets said. "I can help you, I've done it in the past," he added.

"I just don't know exactly what I'm thinking is wrong," Dr. Brennan said honestly.

Dr. Sweets ran his hands through his dark hair and tanned face twice, and then took another moment to think. "It's about Epps, right?" said Dr. Sweets.

"What?" Booth said. "Epps? Bones, you're worried about Epps? He's dead. He fell off the railing. We already went over this, years ago."

"Sometimes, Booth, people have horrible thoughts about things they have already overcome," said Dr. Saroyan.

Dr. Sweets looked at Dr. Saroyan in amazement. "How do you know things like that?" he asked her.

"I took a psychology class in high school. The teacher got us Burger King on Fridays if we got good grades on the tests. I learned some minor things like that," she told Dr. Sweets.

"Sweetie, you are going to eventually have to come to grips with the fact that he killed many innocent people, but now he's dead," said Angela.

"Um… Bones, that body we have is kind of important," Booth interjected.

"Promise you won't be hurt or sickened by what I say?" Dr. Brennan asked.

"Promise," Sweets said.

"I understand what you're going through," Dr. Saroyan told her.

"Sweetie, you know I'm always here for you," Angela said.

"Let's get going," Booth quipped from the wall.

"Okay, here goes. You know how you guys all said Epps is dead. There's a part of me that, for some reason, wishes he wasn't dead."


	2. Memories And Murder

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BONES, OR THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY. THEY BELONG TO FOX AND HART HANSON.**

**I hope you review, and tell me what you think about this second chapter. I'm going to update this as quickly as possible, so thank you.**

Chapter 2: Memories and Murder

"Why?" asked Angela.

Booth had slumped against the wall upon hearing what Dr. Brennan said. "Bones, that man was… horrible."

"It's not that I want him to come back and kill any more innocent people," Dr. Brennan explained.

"Then what exactly is it?" Dr. Sweets asked, concern on his face. But in a way, Dr. Sweets enjoyed these sessions. His patients would unveil secrets he had never dreamed of. It was exciting. This was the reason Dr. Sweets had pursued a career in psychology in the first place. _The Moment Of Truth, _he had been told it was called in Graduate School.

"Hunting him down, figuring out the clues using bones and everything else he dropped there, that was strangely fun. Also, if he had just been taken to prison and hadn't tried to jump over the railing, Booth would be less of a wreck…" Dr. Brennan continued.

"Thanks for the reprieve, Bones," Booth said, pulling himself up. He adjusted his tie, and fiddled with his suit. He didn't like having to wear it, but he did like working for the Bureau, so it was OK. He just wished he could wear something more _attractive_ around Dr. Brennan, or Bones, as he called her.

"The interrogation was interesting, plus for some reason, he kind of got to me. He forced me to think about him. And the more I thought about him, the more he mattered to me. That's why I cared when I killed Lappin. Because, Lappin was _Epps._ It's confusing, and I really hope you guys don't think less of me. Because I'm sickened by the thought of him."

"We don't think _any _less of you," Dr. Saroyan told her. "It's just a problem that we have to deal with."

"Sometimes, crime investigators get attached to hunting down a criminal. So, when the criminal dies, usually suicide to avoid prosecution, it takes its toll on the investigator," Dr. Sweets said. "It's normal," he told her.

"That's happened to me before," Booth spoke from the wall. "The third guy that I killed in the FBI, who I hunted down for over a year. He escaped from Jail, too. When I killed him, I had to go to Therapy."

"Hold on, you were in Therapy before 'Gordon Gordon?'" questioned Angela, saying the last two words in the British accent that Dr. Wyatt had spoken in, mocking Booth.

"Yeah," Booth said. "For a week or two."

"Well, it's never happened to _me _before," Dr. Brennan said. She held her head in her hands.

"It's Ok, Dr. Brennan," Dr. Saroyan told her.

"C'mon, Sweetie, you're fine," Angela said, coming over and bringing her hand onto Temperance's shoulder.

"Yeah, Bones, think about it. You got freaked out by a Serial Killer, that's not really something to lose your mind over," Booth said.

"Special Agent Booth, I have to say that's probably not the best way to comfort her," said Dr. Sweets.

Dr. Brennan couldn't suppress a laugh. "Thanks," she said.

"Who was that to?" asked Dr. Saroyan.

"All of you," she said.

Booth walked over to the couch, and sat on the end of the couch, next to Dr. Sweets and Angela.

Dr. Brennan quickly took off her coat, and walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" asked Dr. Saroyan.

"To the girls room," Dr. Brennan said.

While she was gone, the other four chatted about what she had said, and what her thoughts about Epps were.

"Should we rethink this?" Booth asked.

"Huh?" Dr. Sweets said, confused.

"You know, rethink that we are OK with Bones missing a serial killer and wishing he _wasn't _dead," Booth clarified.

"No," Dr. Saroyan said.

"Why not?" asked Booth.

"Because it's natural, and it's OK," Angela said.

"Whatever you three say," Bones said, eyes wide, unconvinced.

Dr. Brennan re-entered the room, and then sneezed.

"Bless you," the other four said, nearly in unicen.

A generic cell phone ringtone went off inside the room, prompting Dr. Sweets to open his phone, adjusting his black suit with an "adventurous" auburn red tie, as Angela had jokingly earlier worded it.

"Hello," Dr. Sweets said. He listened intently for a few seconds.

"Jared?" he asked. Booth looked around.

_My brother? Calling Sweets? Why? Why Not me? This doesn't make any sense, _he thought.

"Oh-ok, well, I'll be at the airport as soon as I can," Dr. Sweets said.

Dr. Brennan and Angela, by that point, had gone over and held Booth's shoulders, right and left, respectively. "Was that Jared… Booth?" asked Dr. Brennan.

"Alan," Dr. Sweets answered. "One of my oldest, best friends."

"What happened? Why do you have to go to the airport?" asked Angela.

"His brother was hit by a car," Dr. Sweets said. "He died."

"Oh my God," Dr. Brennan breathed.

"Hold on, you don't believe in God, right?" Booth asked.

"Will you stop it?" asked Dr. Saroyan, the question directed at Booth.

"You can't afford all those expenses: the plane ticket, the hotel room, the rental car," Angela rattled off.

"I'd pay a lot for Jared," Dr. Sweets said.

"I'll pay it for you," Dr. Brennan jumped up.

"We'll split it," said Angela.

"I'll pay a cut," Dr. Saroyan said.

"I'll give you advice that's worth more than the money," Booth told him.

"Forget it," Dr. Sweets said. "My friend's brother died, and I'm paying it."

"There is no way you can afford it," Dr. Brennan said.

"No way," Booth added.

"I can handle this," Dr. Sweets complained.

"I'll go with you and take care of all the expenses besides your ticket," Dr. Saroyan offered.

"Fine," Sweets conceded.

"I'm sorry about your loss, Sweets," Booth said.

"Yeah," said Angela.

"It's alright. It happens. It's _scientific,_" Dr. Sweets said with a playful, childish feel to the last word.

Everyone laughed.

"You be good," Angela told him, and blew him a fake kiss.

"I will," Dr. Sweets said.

"Where does Jared live?" Dr. Brennan asked.

"In Hollywood," Dr. Sweets said.

"Wow, you're gonna meet all the stars, huh?" Booth clapped Sweets on the back.

"Florida," Sweets said.

"Okay," Dr. Saroyan said. "Where's that?"

"Near Miami," Dr. Sweets said.

"Yeah," Angela said. "It's near Miami, where Grayson used to live before he moved to No Name Key."

Dr. Brennan moved towards Sweets and motioned for a hug. "I'm really sorry," she told him as they embraced.

"I'm alright," Dr. Sweets said.

"No, you're not," Angela said.

"Well, Cam'll help you," Booth reasoned.

"Yeah, I will," Dr. Saroyan said, and placed her hand on Dr. Sweet's shoulder.

Dr. Brennan called Sweets over one last time and hugged him again. This time, he slipped a $50 bill into Dr. Sweets' hand.

"I can't accept this," Dr. Sweets said.

"It's a gift, for the sessions that helped me and Booth," she told him.

"But you hate psychology," Sweets reasoned.

"I don't hate you though," Dr. Brennan said. She pointed at the bill in Sweets' hand. "This," she said, "is your ticket to Miami."

"OK, thank you so much," Dr. Sweets said.

"No problem," Dr. Brennan said. "When my mom died, people were covering me with aid- money, food, everything. I want to return the favor as much as I can."

Booth was messing with his Cell Phone, clicking buttons right and left, and quietly talking to someone while Sweets and Brennan were conversing.

"You better end the love fest," he warned them as he got off his cell phone. "The next flight for Miami leaves in… 74 Minutes."

Sweets said private good-byes to everyone else in the room, and then opened the door.

Dr. Saroyan took her turn then, the most meaningful exchange (by far) happening with Booth.

"Take care of Sweets," Booth said.

"I will," Dr. Saroyan answered.

"Seriously, Cam, things like this are traumatic," Booth told her.

"I know, and Sweets will try to explain it with some bogus psychological thought," Dr. Saroyan said.

"Yeah, so it's your job to help him through this," Booth said.

"I'm not a child, Seeley," Dr. Saroyan informed him.

"But you can tend to be a little, you know, inhumane when it comes to death. Not on purpose of course," Booth reiterated.

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment or as a criticism?"

"Both," Booth said, and they laughed.

Dr. Saroyan and Dr. Sweets walked out of the room, and then got into Dr. Saroyan's car to leave for the airport.

Back in the room, Angela and Dr. Brennan were talking. "Do you think Sweets will be alright?" Angela asked.

"Yeah," Dr. Brennan said. "He'll explain something psychological to reason with himself."

"Probably," Angela said.

"Bones, there's a body that is important, I've been trying to tell you," Booth said.

"OK, then let's go. Where is it?" Dr. Brennan asked.

"1600 Pennsylvania," Booth said.

"What?" asked Angela.

"Yep," Booth clarified.

"Well, we better get going then," Dr. Brennan said.

"That's for sure," Angela urged. "Go, go, go!"

The two partners, half-ran, half-walked their way to Booth's FBI Car.

Dr. Brennan immediately turned on the siren, and they speeded down the city of Washington, D.C. towards the legendary home. When they got there, a crowd was gathered around a body.

"FBI, move away, FBI," Booth shouted through the night. Most onlookers moved away, and eventually with some help from Dr. Brennan, the rest followed suit.

"Female, Caucasian, Blonde, estimate late teens," Dr. Brennan examined. "Evidence of trauma to the hands and feet, it looks like they were tied. And, also a severe blow to the back of the head. That's probably the cause of death."

"Where'd they find her?" Booth asked the Secret Service Agent who had had a role in discovering the body.

"Near the Rose Garden," the Secret Service Agent said. "Under a bush, in the dirt. She was buried face down."

Suddenly, Dr. Brennan gasped. She gulped out the word "Epps," before collapsing into the ground, of pure shock.

**A/N: So, I hope this chapter was good. Please review and thank you for reading. The next chapter should be fairly long, so tell me how you think this is going in your review. Please review!!**


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